Entrance enclosure structure



June 2, 1936. JACQBVSQN 2,043,174

ENTRANCE ENCLOSURE STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 13, 1952 amt 3L LU DWIG G-JA0015.50

HE- E 4 m5 M Patented J une 2, 1936 ENTRANCE ENCLOSURE STRUCTURE LudwigG. Jacobson, Jamestown, N. Y. assignor to Dahlstrom Metallic DoorCompany, Jamestown, N. 1., a corporation of New York A ApplicationAugust 13, 193a, Serial No. 628,700

4 Claims. (01. 189-40) This invention relates to. an improvement inentrance enclosures, and particularly to the construction thereof.

The preferred embodiment of the invention dis- 5 closes an entranceenclosure comprised of a plurality of elements susceptible ofarrangement during assembly to permit installation of a door from eitherface or side of the enclosure.

Heretofore, little or no attempt has been made to produce an entranceenclosure frame of knock down construction. This has been dueprincipally to the belief that such a design would be of insuiiicientstrength, rigidity, and permanence, thus nullifying any advantageswhich'might ob- 15 tain through the manufacture of a less costlyproduct. Careful study and development have, however, resulted inproducing an entrance enclosure frame made up of four principalelements,

' namely, side jambs, head lambs, and spreader.

0 These elements, when properly joined together, produce a rigidenclosure structure capable of meeting all necessary requirements.

The main objectsof the provision 'of an entrance frame made inaccordance with this in- 25 vention are: (1) Simplicity and inexpensivemanufacture. (2) Assembly at the place of erection. (3) Less shippingcosts by reason of small space requirements. (4) Capable ofaccommodating a right or left hand door or of swinging 30 from eitherface of the enclosure. (5) Adjustable hinge and strike reinforcementplates.

Other and further objects of the invention may be more clearlyunderstood from a consideration of the following specification which istaken in- 40 Figure 2 is a fragmentary exploded view of the method ofjoining the side and head jambs;

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through thehinge sideof the structure, being taken substantially on the line 3-4 of Fig- 46ure 1; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the jointure ofthe side and head jamb.

Referring to the drawing, the invention, generally indicated by thereference numeral I0, is 50 shown to be comprised of side iambs Ii andi2, head lamb l3, and spreader H. The side jambs ii and I2, with theexception of the difference in location of. the hinge and strikereinforcing plates it, are identical and therefore only one will be 56described in detail.

Figure 3 of the, drawing shows the jamb to be of channel form havingside walls ll connected .by a lamb face It which is formed with a stopI! preferably located centrally of and dividing the face l8 into twoparts. The free ends of the- 5 side walls II are terminated by inturnedflanges 2i. The length of these flanges is optional, since theirprincipal purpose is to provide a seat for the portion 22 of thereinforcing plate I. If it is definitely known that the owner of abuilding, 10 in which a structure of this class is to be erected. willnot change the plans and require a door for the enclosure to swing fromthe opposite side or face from that originally intended, the stop I! maybe located toward one or the other faces of the enclosure. However,since this assurity is usually wanting, the side and head jambs are madewith a centrally disposed stop portion which permits full flexibility inlocating the door. The reinforcing plate l5, as stated above, includesgo a portion 22 which rests against the iointure of the side wall I1 andflange 2|. The remainder of the plate is formed with a portion 23directed at right angles to the portion 22. This portion abuts a part ofthe inner face i8 of the side jamb. g5

From this portion the plate continues at a slight angle to form asupporting portion 24 for the stop I9. The plate is snapped into place,being held by the spring tension of the jamb, and is verticallyadjustable to permit alignment of the 39 drilled and tapped openings 26with the openings in .the face l3 and the leaf 21 of the hinge 23. Theother leaf 29 of the hinge is secured to a door 30 in any expedientmanner.

The head jamb I3 is identical in construction with the side jambs II andI2, being provided with a stop 3| with which are connected face portions32. The side walls 33 of the head jamb are likewise terminated byinturned flanges 34.- The purpose of these flanges in the head jamb,be-.4o yond giving uniformity to the structure, is to provideaccommodation for a check reinforcing plate (not shown).

The side jambs ii and i2 are each formed with the walls ll of slightlygreater length than the face i8. Similarly, the stop I! is of lesslength than the face it, thus producing two steps from the side walls I!to the stop i9, at either end of the side jamb, for the purpose ofaccommodating the downwardly projecting face portion 32 and stop M ofthe head lamb l3. Projecting beyond the ends of both portions of theface II are bendable tongues 36, similar tongues 31 being provided atthe upper and lower ends of the stop i3. In the portions of the sidewalls II, which a extend above and below the face ll of the lamb,suitable horizontally disposed slots 3| are out. Theheadlamb",sinceitistobeengagedwith the side lambs II and II by means of ton es aand 81, is provided with slots ll and I in the face portion If and stop3|. The side walls a of the head lamb, are provided with slots 43, theseslots corresponding to the slots 3! in the side walls II of the sidelamb II.

The spreader I4 is for the purpose of securing the lower ends of theside lambs in proper spaced relationship and is loined to said lambs byprolecting the lamb tongues 8| through slots 44 in the spreader. Thespreader is attached to the face portion II and not to the stop is, thegap occurring between the end of the stop I! and the face of thespreader being concealed from view when the enclosure structure isassembled and the sill is in place.

It will be noted (see Figure 2) that the side and head lambs do notoverlap each other to'any extent, and in consequence the cornerconnection of these elements is not complete. This corner is fllled by asuitable corner plate 40, which is formed with a face having the samecontour as the faces of the side walls l1 and 83 of the side and headlambs respectively. Angularly directed tonzues 41 are formed on theplate 46, being engageable with slots 3! and 43 of the side and headlamb. While the corner pieces it complete the structure, they also servethe purpose of rigidifying the right angle connection between the sideand head lambs.

As stated above, the enclosure structure is of the knock down type andmay therefore be shipped knocked down and assembled at the time ofinstallation. Since the side lambs II and 12 have identical upper andlower ends, it does not matter which end is placed up nor which of thelambs is located on the right or left side. To complete theinterchangeability,'the upper and lower hinges 28 are spaced the samedistance from the top and bottom of the enclosure, the center hingebeing located midway of the end hinges and in horizontal alignment withthe latch plate. It may thus be readily understood that at the time oferection, the door may be hinged from either side of either face of theenclosure. The side lambs II and I! are mounted on the spreader H withthe tongues 36 projecting into the slots N. The head lamb I3 is nextmounted on the side lambs by projecting the tongues 36 and I! throughthe slots ill and II. Attention is directed to the fact that thesetongues are split Although applicant has shown and described only onemodification of this invention, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that other modifications or adaptations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in thehereunto annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention what I claim as new and for which Idesire protection by Letters Patent is:--

I. In a knock down entrance enclosure frame for receiving and supportinga door, a lamb, a reinforcing plate, means on said plate, said meansbeing snapped into engagement. with certain of the flanges ofnaid lambto frictionally support said plate, said plate serving to engage andsupport an element of door hardware.

'2. In an entrance enclosure frame having a lamb, flanges on the lambforming pockets, a plate in the lamb, the body of the plate abutting thelamb, angular portions extending from the body of the plate, saidangular portions being projected into said pockets to locate said platewith respect to the lamb, a body of said plate registering with anopening in the lamb and serving to engage and secure an element of doorhardware.

3. In an entrance enclosure frame having a lamb, flanges forming a doorstop in said lamb, further flanges forming a pocket similar to a pocketformed by said door stop, a reinforcing and supporting plate in thelamb, said plate including portions extending from the body thereof intosaid stop and said pocket to rigidify said lamb against lateralcollapse, the body of said plate registering with an opening in the lamband serving to engage and secure an element 0 door hardware.

4. In an entrance enclosure frame having a lamb, flanges forming a doorstop in the lamb, further flanges forming a pocket similar to a pocketformed by the door stop'flanges, a. reinforcing and supporting plate inthe lamb, said plate including a body portion registerable with anopening in the lamb, said body portion serving to engage and support anelement of door hardware, and flanged portions on said plate, one ofsaid flanged portions being seated in the pocket formed by said stop,the other of said portions being seated in said pocket, said plate, whenmounted, spreading walls of the lamb and being h2g8 in position by thespring tension of the lamb w LUDWIG G. JACOBSON.

